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nBeyond the sealed doors of the palace, eyes turned to stare at the excited grader.

nA grader could nominate exceptional works to be evaluated by the lead grader. However, graders would often shortlist a few candidates and perform a round of detailed comparison before putting forth recommendations.

nIt was rare to witness graders unabashedly shout out a recommendation in the midst of grading.

n“Silence!”

nThe head grader in the hall shushed.

n“Provide your reasoning for the nomination and hand it over to the lead grader responsible for your zone. I will have a look as well.”

nThat was the proper nomination process. The head grader followed the procedure meticulously though a part of him was eager to see what had elicited such a huge response from the fellow grader.

nA nomination meant the grader deemed the candidate’s work was worth a perfect score.

nThe lead grader who was responsible for Luojiang Examination Tower had a dark expression.

nHe had just received orders from the right administrator to be more stringent when it came to the Luojiang City papers, yet his subordinate nominated a candidate’s work?

nIt was a slap to the lead grader’s face.

nThe lead grader was aware the instructions came down from the third prince.

nTherefore, he had to be thorough when checking the nomination.

nSilence fell over the room again as the graders got back to grading.

nThe grader who was responsible for the outburst was writing down his reason for the recommendation with utmost zeal.

nIn the eyes of this grader, the candidate’s poem was terrific. However, what made him squeal was the answer to the policy question. The pragmatic views elicited strong emotions from him.

nThe foresight and long-term planning detailed in the essay was the reason why the grader was taken aback.

nHe handed over the candidate’s exam script and the nomination slip to the lead grader in charge of Luojiang Examination Tower. The unfriendly gaze of his superior deterred him from staying any longer. He scurried back to his seat and continued grading the rest of the papers.

nThe lead grader cleared his throat.

nHe rustled the papers and let his eyes roam through the writing, a critical look on his face. He would grade this work with the highest requirements.

n‘The memorization and history questions were objective by nature. There’s no point picking at this section.’

nThe lead grader carried on to the next section.

nGradually, his expression changed.

nWhen he finished reading the poem, he let out a breath. The poem was written with great flair and there was not much to criticize.

nThe next page!

nThe lead grader’s expression was unpleasant but he continued the evaluation. His eyes widened as he read the opening line for the policy essay.

nUnknowingly, the lead grader was captivated by the well-thought-out discussions put forth in the policy essay.

nAfter a long moment, he huffed out a breath.

n“The right administrator? The third prince? Who were they in the face of the sacred Imperial Examination?

n“To bury this work would be a sin!”

nThe poem was secondary. The foresight presented in the candidate’s policy essay was astounding. The lead grader could not bury such talent.

nHe took a deep breath and picked up his brush. He marked the script as nominated.

n…

nThe night grew darker.

nIn the depths of the palace, a figure laid on his side before the desk. A jug of wine stood on the desk. The figure grabbed the jug and poured—the stream of alcohol swirled in the cup.

nHe gulped down the cup of wine and let out a sigh.

nThen, he retrieved the sheathed sword on the desk. Under the orange candlelight, he pulled out the sword and admired the carvings on the blade.

nOutside the door, the head grader had arrived. The man entered politely with a bow.

n“Chancellor Lu.”

nThe figure inside put down the sword and took a sip of wine. With a smile, he said, “Yes?”

nThe head grader handed up a sheet of papers. “This submission has been nominated for the perfect score in this round of examinations. As the preparer of the Imperial Examination, please have a look.”

nLu Taixuan took the examination script.

nHe flipped through the papers and read the entries.

nA moment later, Lu Taixuan picked up the jug of wine and chugged down a good portion of it.

n“Great wine for the great poetry!

n“Excellent essay!”

nThe head grader was surprised by the grand chancellor’s reaction.

nJoy danced in the head grader’s eyes—if Chancellor Lu agreed with the policy essay, it would be used as a standard for the grading.

nThe head grader left the building. Back in the grading hall, he announced that answers rejecting the individual border regiment policy would be granted bonus marks.

n…

nOn the tenth of August, the combat assessment began.

nThe autumn rain stopped in the middle of the night. The temperature fell a few degrees, suggesting some light snow was to be expected.

nFang Lang’s forehead was beaded with sweat. He gradually opened his eyes and breathed out. He had used another Physical Buff Card to strengthen his physical body.

nHowever, since he had graduated from the rank of disciple, the Physical Buff Card did not work as effectively and the pain was much more manageable.

nHe stretched before getting up and changing into a fresh set of green robes. He stepped out of his room and basked in the sunlight. He exhaled a breath of stale air.

nAfter breakfast, he took the carriage and arrived at Luojiang Examination Tower with Old Fang.

nLike the day before, the venue was filled with candidates and their companions. People milled around the shut gates of the examination tower, waiting for the admissions to begin.

nDang!

nThe familiar bell rang. A rustling sound was heard as candidates clutched at their examination handbook and shuffled forward.

nFang Lang bade farewell to his father and entered the examination hall. He took his seat at the same desk.

nThe combat assessment was split into the written and practical sections, just like the academy examinations.

nThe morning was the written section, the afternoon was the practical combat.

nFor most students, a whole morning was sufficient to complete the written assessment.

nFor Fang Lang who was aiming for the highest distinction, the time might not be in his favor. He wanted to answer all major sections of the three masteries—every second had to be utilized to the fullest!

nWhen the bell rang for the second time, the head examiner materialized a stack of papers from his space ring. He ordered the examiners to distribute the papers.

nEvery candidate received three large piles of papers. Each paper represented one mastery and contained a major studies section and a minor studies section.

nCandidates had to answer at least one major studies section in order to qualify for a combat written score.

nFang Lang raised his brush and dipped it in ink. He started with the sword mastery paper. His answers spilled onto the paper like an ocean wave, quick and unrelenting.

nLike the theoretical assessment, the difficulty for this year’s paper was hiked up a notch.

nCandidates in the Luojiang Examination Tower were anxious in their seats.

nDespite the cool autumn climate, many candidates were sweating. Some had tears in their eyes while others chewed on their brushes. Eyes were darting left and right, the candidates looking as if they would faint any moment.

nUnlike the theoretical assessment which allowed for freeform writing, the written section for the combat assessment was incredibly specialized. If one did not know the answer, no amount of hand-wringing and nail-biting would help.

nMinutes and hours passed. Several candidates could not stand the pressure and decided to hand in their papers as is.

nSome answered whatever they could before submitting the papers.

nFang Lang never stopped writing since the bell rang. His spiritual sense was in overdrive as thoughts fired in his mind. He answered one question after another.

nThere were 108 questions in the major section of the sword mastery paper. He completed every single one of them. His answer sheet was filled with his flowy handwriting.

nThen, he picked the spell mastery’s major section and took a deep breath. He began answering the 108 questions.

nThe morning sun crept slowly across the sky. Soon, it reached the apex and warm light cascaded overhead.

nLuojiang Examination Tower barely had any candidates left. This year’s paper was too difficult and the majority of candidates decided to give up. They placed their hopes in the upcoming practical combat.

nIn the cavernous hall, Fang Lang was the only green robe left. He focused on his writing.

nThe hall was dead silent but for the rustling of a single candidate’s brush.

nSeveral examiners held cups in their hands, occasionally glancing at Fang Lang.

nThe boy was ambitious to answer three major sections.

nHowever, he must be careful not to bite off more than he could chew. Each paper required a certain level of specialization and if something was amiss, it might backfire and cause a bad impression.

nMoreover, in the previous Imperial Examinations, no one had successfully completed all three major sections.

nNo one!

nDang!

nThe last bell rang.

nThe head examiner stood up and shouted, “Time’s up! Put down your brushes!”

nFang Lang made his last stroke and slammed his brush down on the desk. He exhaled deeply.

nHe stood up and folded his hands. He took a deep bow before the examiners and left the examination hall by his lonesome.

nWhen the examiner collected his papers, he was shocked to find all 328 questions answered.

nThe boy had completed all three major sections!

n…

nIn the Tang Dynasty’s Ministry of Rites.

nThe theoretical assessment score was published.

nZhao Wuji brought the carriage to a halt at the entrance of the ministry. The blinds of the carriage were swept aside and out came a tall and slender woman. The beautiful woman had exquisite features.

nZhao Wuji trailed behind the woman respectfully. As they entered the main hall of the Ministry of Rites, they encountered the third prince and the right administrator, Li Puyi.

nThe third prince gave the beautiful woman a gentle smile. “Princess.”

nPrincess Pei Shi was Jiang Linglong’s mother. After a polite exchange of greetings, she carried on walking into the hall.

nIn the horizon, a flash of light zoomed through the autumn sky, tearing through the clouds. The flight sword slowed down and a white-robed, white-haired man disembarked. Chao Xiaojian strode fearlessly into the main hall, chest and abdomen exposed.

nChao Xiaojian’s appearance took both the third prince and the princess by surprise.

nThe undisciplined Chao Xiaojian had never cared for the Imperial Examination. Why was he there to check on the theoretical assessment results?

n“I’m here to check on that kid’s results. He dared to turn down my invitation to join the Sword Guild. Let me see what he’s capable of. I’m gonna mock him if his results are barely passing.”

nChao Xiaojian grinned. His hair was white as snow.

nHearing the mentioned name, the third prince smirked. With his instructions, that boy should not stand a chance in the Imperial Examination.

nA series of footsteps sounded—the Minister of Rites and a few other officials walked out with the scores

nThe scroll unfurled inch by inch.

nZhao Wuji’s eyes were locked on the top position. His eyes went wide and he let out a shocked cry when he saw the results.

nChao Xiaojian muttered a curse under his breath. He was agitated. ‘How?’

nThe smirk on the third prince’s face disappeared when he saw the name at the top of the list. It was a metaphorical slap across his face.

n“Fang Lang, Luojiang Academy, 150 points.”

nFang Lang’s name was at the very top of the theoretical assessment scoreboard.

nHe was the best and the brightest!

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